Sewer pipe installing machine



P 1968 A. T. SANDBERG SEWER PIPE INSTALLING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1966 INVENTOR.

424/: 544/08526 at W P 1968 A. T. SANDBERG SEWER PIPE INSTALLING MACHTNF.

2 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Nov.- .3, 1966 mum-N t Rm J INVENTOR. 424/5 K510 08520 404 la mum mmnN rhw United States Patent 3,402,781 SEWER PIPE INSTALLING MACHINE Arne T. Sandberg, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to San-Will, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 591,766 Claims. (Cl. 175-171) This invention relates generally to machines for installing sewer pipe in the ground and more particularly concerns the earth digging and removal apparatus of the machine.

Machines have been developed for laying sewer pipe in the ground by endwise insertion from an exposed side of the earth mass or from a pit dug therein thus eliminating the necessity of digging a ditch tor trench. Occasionally such a method is used to install a sewer pipe from a dwelling basement by running the line outwardly from the dwelling to the main line in the street. Such an installation system is generally carried out by providing a rotatable auger within the pipe to be installed and having a forwardly projecting auger head for drilling a passageway in the ground and moving the earth rearwardly through the pipe itself. Pipe and anger sections are added end to end as the passageway is lengthened.

One of the problems in the aforementioned sewer installation system and machines for carrying it out lies in providing a passageway of sufficient diameter to allow sliding insertion of the pipe without binding and to still effectively convey the removed soil, rocks and the like into the leading end of the pipe for rearward auger discharge.

The primary :object of this invention is to provide a new and improved machine for installing sewer pipe in the ground.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel machine for installing pipe sections endwise into the ground with .a new and improved auger head and bonnet construction to facilitate entrance of the sections into the ground and axial removal of soil loosened thereby outwardly through the pipe sections.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a sewer pipe installing machine with a new and improved digging auger head adapted to move loosened soil rearwardly into the open end of a following sewer pipe and designed to pass rocks and stones into the pipe without any binding at the pipe end.

With these objects in mind the invention broadly comprises a sewer pipe installing machine adapted to move pipe sections end to end through the ground in a generally horizontal direction and having rotary auger means for moving soil rearwardly through the pipe as it is advanced, said auger means having a portion thereof projecting forwardly beyond the leading pipe section and having an external diameter equal to and coaxial with the largest diameter of the pipe, bearing means mounted on the pipe for supporting said auger portion. The invention is further characterized by providing a removable section in the vane of said auger portion to facilitate passage of rocks and stones into the pipe where soil containing such impediments is encountered.

The above mentioned and still additional objects of the invention will be brought to light during the course of the following specification reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the machine during the initial stages of inserting a sewer pipe section into the ground.

FIG. 2 is a front right side perspective view of the auger head and bonnet.

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the auger taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking rearwardly in the direction of the arrows, and exploded to show the rock passage section plate removed.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary axial section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an axial section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference characters will be used to denote like parts or structural features in the different views. The machine is designated generally by the number 10. A carriage frame 11 is mounted for fore and aft sliding movement along a track 12. A motor 14 having a suitable power source for driving a shaft 15 is mounted on the frame 11. For the sake of convenience and clarity the terms front or forward will refer to the direction toward the right of the machine as viewed in FIG. 1 while the terms rear or rearward will refer to the direction toward the left in the same view. A speed reduction transmission 16 is mounted on the frame 11 forward of the motor 14. This transmission is driven by motor 14 through a drive belt 17 and suitable pulleys on the motor and transmission. The motor power is converted through the transmission to rotation of the chuck 18 in a counterclockwise direction looking forwardly therethrough.

The track 12 is provided along one side with a row of upwardly projecting, forwardly facing teeth 19. A frame advance lever 20 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the frame 11 as by transverse pivot pin 21. An L-shaped catch dog 22 has one end pivoted to the control 20 as at 24 and extends forwardly and downwardly for engagement over the teeth 19. A spring 25 holds the dog 22. down in engagement with any selected tooth 19. It will be understood that when the control is in the position shown in FIG. 1, a pull rearwardly or toward motor 14 on the upper end thereof will by leverage advance the frame 11 forwardly as desired. Also mounted on frame 11 are .a pair of brackets 26 which extend forwardly one on each side of the transmission 16. A split strap pipe clamp 27 has its ends bolted at each side of the brackets 26. Clamp 27 is adapted to tightly encircle and hold a section of sewer pipe 28, which has an enlarged rim 29 at its rear end for receiving the opposite end of a pipe section to be installed therebehind.

An auger section 30 is disposed within the pipe 28. This auger section has a central shaft 31 spirally encircled by an auger vane 32 which has an external diameter only slightly less than the interior of the pipe 28 for free rotation therein about the shaft axis. The rear end portion 34 of the shaft 31 is securely held in the chuck 18. It should be brought out at this point that the auger section 30 is the lead section in a series to be connected end to end.

A forward bearing support collar or bonnet 36 is frictionally secured to the forward end of pipe 28 by means of radially directed set bolts 37. Near its forward. end collar 36 is provided with an internal annular flange 38 (FIG. 4). This flange angles slightly rearward in its inward extension with its inner marginal edge resting against the forward end of the pipe section 28. This flange serves to prevent rearward slippage of the collar along the pipe and to guide rearwardly moving soil into the pipe. A pair of bracket arms 39 extend forwardly and inwardly from collar 36 to support a bearing 40 coaxial with the collar.

An auger head or lead section 44 is formed of a shaft 45 having a short spiral auger vane 46. The rear end of shaft 45 is threaded into a coupling 47 which is also suitably connected to the front end 48 of shaft 31. Conpling 47 is journalled for rotation in bearing 40 having an internal bushing 49. As will be clearly observed in FIG. 4, the vane 46 has an external diameter equal to the external diameter of collar 36 and is formed with a rounded rib 50 along its external edge for smooth movement through the soil. The leading edge 51 of auger 46 is sharpened to cut into the earth to advance the auger during rotation.

The front portion of anger 30 will now be described with special reference being made to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 As will be noted the simple auger vane 32 terminates just to the rear of the forward end of pipe 28 and the flange 38. A vane section 54 is provided as a continuation of vane 32. This section has the same diameter as vane 32 but has a peripheral flange 55. The vane section 54 extends forwardly through the forward open end of pipe 28 and flange 38 terminating just short of the coupling 49.

A central section of the vane 54 is cut away as at 56 (FIG. 3). This cut-out is filled by a generally pie-shaped insert 57 which is removably connected to the vane by nut and bolt assemblies 58 (FIG.

In operation of the machine, the pipe and auger are assembled as shown in FIG. 1 with the auger head 44 against an exposed side of the earth section B into which the sewer pipe is to be installed. When the motor 14 is energized to rotate the chuck 18, the entire auger assembly will be rotated in a counterclockwise direction looking forwardly. The pipe 28, collar 36 and bearing 40 will be held immovable by the mounting on brackets 26. As the entire motor, frame, auger and pipe assembly is advanced forwardly along track 12, by operation of control 20, the auger head 44 will dig into the ground and move dirt, sand and rock loosened thereby rearwardly .aro-und brackets 39 and into engagement with the auger sections 54 and 32 for rearward movement through the pipe section and discharge through the rear end thereof.

The collar 36 will easily slide through the passageway P as the auger head 44 has the same diameter and the two, by reason of bearing 40 are fixed on the same axis.

When the rim 29 of the lead pipe gets up to the exposed open end of the passageway P, another pipe section has its forward end sealed therein as by leading and has its rear portion secured in the support assembly 26, 27. This section also contains an auger section the forward end of which is keyed to shaft 34 and the rear end of which is journalled in chuck 15. Additional pipe and auger sections are successively connected in this manner until the pipe line has been advanced as far as desired through the earth Section E, perhaps to a pit dug in the ground or street adjacent to the main sewer line. When this has been accomplished the bonnet 36, coupling 47 and head 44 are removed at the pit end, remote from machine and the connection between lead pipe section 28 and the main line is made. Auger sections may be withdrawn from the opposite end or toward machine 10.

In other auger machines of this type it has been found that where the installation is made in rocky soil there is a tendency for the larger stones and rocks to bind between the auger and pipe or bonnet at the entrance to the pipe with resultant jamming of the machine. To eliminate this problem the present construction is provided with a removable auger section 57. When the section is removed, as in FIG. 3, such large stones may freely pass through the cut-out 56.

The invention accordingly economically and effectively carries out the aforementioned objectives. It is understood that suitable modification may be made in the structure as disclosed provided that such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention what I claim to be new and desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a sewer pipe installing machine:

(a) a track;

(b) a carriage frame mounted for fore and aft movement along the track;

(c) auger drive means mounted on the frame;

(d) means on the frame for irrotatably supporting a pipe section to extend in a fore and aft direction;

(e) an auger section extending longitudinally through the pipe section and having driven connection with the auger drive means;

(f) an annular bonnet adapted to be mounted on the forward end of the pipe section;

(g) the auger section having a shaft portion extending forwardly beyond the bonnet;

(h) a bearing disposed forwardly of the bonnet and journalling the shaft portion;

(i) a bracket arm extending forwardly from the bonnet and supporting the bearing;

(j) an auger vane on the shaft portion forward of the bearing;

(k) and said auger vane having an external diameter equal to or slightly greater than that of the bonnet.

2. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein said shaft portion has two sections and a coupling member joining said sections in end to end relation to the rear of said auger vane.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein there is a second auger vane on said shaft portion to the rear of the bearing and extending axially rearward into the pipe.

4. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein said second auger vane has a cut-out in the periphery thereof and a detachable plate section covering said cut-out.

5. The subject matter of claim 3 wherein the maximum external diameter of said auger vane at any point along the axis thereof is no greater than the external diameter of the auger section.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,699,936 1/ 1929 Watchorn -62 X 1,835,191 12/1931 Tilly 175-62 X 1,993,366 3/1935 Englebright 175-62 X 2,165,666 7/1939 Tilly 175-62 X 2,633,334 3/1953 Lavender 175-62 X 3,132,701 5/1964 Juntunen 6172.7 X

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SEWER PIPE INSTALLING MACHINE: (A) A TRACK; (B) A CARRIAGE FRAME MOUNTED FOR FORE AND AFT MOVEMENT ALONG THE TRACK; (C) AUGER DRIVE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE FRAME; (D) MEANS ON THE FRAME FOR IRROTATABLY SUPPORTING A PIPE SECTION TO EXTEND IN A FORE AND AFT DIRECTION; (E) AN AUGER SECTION EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE PIPE SECTION AND HAVING DRIVEN CONNECTION WITH THE AUGER DRIVE MEANS; (F) AN ANNULAR BONNET ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE FORWARD END OF THE PIPE SECTION; (G) THE AUGER SECTION HAVING A SHAFT PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY BEYOND THE BONNET; (H) A BEARING DISPOSED FORWARDLY OF THE BONNET AND JOURNALLING THE SHAFT PORTION; (I) A BRACKET ARM EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE BONNET AND SUPPORTING THE BEARING; (J) AN AUGER VANE ON THE SHAFT PORTION FOWARD OF THE BEARING; (K) AND SAID AUGER VANE HAVING AN EXTERNAL DIAMETER EQUAL TO OR SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAT OF THE BONNET. 